Stop-motion device



H. S. JONES AND A. P. CULLINAN.. STOP- Manon DEVICE; APPLICATION FILED SEPLT, 19H.

1,377,587; Patented Ma 10, 1921 INVENTORS W S. I

ATTORNEYS.

H. S. JONES AND A. P. CULLINAN.

STOP MOTION DEVICE. APPLICATION FILE'D SEPT-7.1917.

Patented May 10,1921;

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

5 1w: 2 7 mm M: w #3 a m3 T: m: 0 EN 2: 5

INVENTORS M 'k BY &

ATTORNEYS .H. s. JONES AND A. P. CULLINAN.

STOP MOTION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 'SEPT, 7, 191-7.

1,377,587. Patented May 10,1921.

5 S HEETSSHEET 5! INVENTORS A TTORNEYS.

NETED STATES r PATENT FFICE.

HUGH S. JONES, OF NEW YORK MILLS, AND ARTHUR P. CULLINAN, 0F UTIGA, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNORS T0 UTICA KNITTING GOMPANY, OE UTICA, NEW YORK, A COR- PGRATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

STOP-MOTION DEVICE.

Application filed September 7, 1917. Serial No. 190,154.

To all w ham it may concern Be it known that we, HUGH S. J ONES and ARTHUR P. CULLINAN, citizens of the United States, and residents of New York Mills and Utica, respectively, in the county of Uneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stop-Motion Devices; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, dear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

Our present invention relates to stop motion devices for thread-using machines, said invention being illustrated in connection with and being particularly applicable to knitting machines, but not limited in its application to knitting machines.

The purpose of our invention is to provide a new and improved form of stop motion device and particularly to provide a device of the character described that is simple and durable in construction and efiicient and reliable in operation.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein the trip device provided for each thread is peculiarly adapted to become operative upon either the breaking of the thread or undue tightening of the thread; and further to have said trip device so organized that proper movement of a single trigger operates the trip device whether the device is brought into operation by the breaking of a thread or uhdue tightening of a thread.

Another purpose of our invention is to provide a stop motion device having an in? dependent trip device for each thread and to have said trip devices and the rest of the stop motion device of such form and so cooperating with each other that trip devices may be applied to or removed from the machine as occasion requires without disorganizing the cooperation of parts and without affecting the proper operation of the device as a wnole or any of the individual trip de vices. v

Still another object of our invention is to provide a stop motion device wherein the trip mechanism is a separate device for each thread and the rest of the stop motion device or the means connecting the trip devices to the clutch or other power disengaging part may be operated by any one of the trip devices without the other trip devices being operated or moved; furthermore to provide a stop motion device of such character that the said connecting means may be ofstandard or similar construction whether the machine needs one or any greater number of individual trip mechanisms.

Another object of our invention is to provide a stop motion device of such form and construction that it may be readily attached to a great variety of machines either without change or with a minimum change or adjustment of parts.

Another object of our invention is to provide a stop motion device wherein the means first rendered operative by the movement of the thread-operated trigger is balanced in such fashion that it tends to or readily holds itself in place without strain upon the thread until the trigger becomes operative and thereafter said means acts with much greater strength than could have been held by the thread.

Another object of our invention is to provide a stop motion device having a trip mechanism that may safely be set to be very sensitive in its operation.

A still further aim of our invention is to provide a stop motion device wherein the trip mechanism may be located below the table of the machine so as to leave the upper part of the machine clear and at the same time have ample provision for stopping the machine before a break or knot reaches the fabric or other point in the machine where the thread is to be used.

Another object of our invention is to provide stop motion devices wherein the individual trip mechanisms may be variously grouped about the mach ne without affect ing their operation and also may be readily separately adjusted to different tensions if the character of the work being done or the character of the different threads being used require such separate adjustment.

Further purposes and advantages of our invention will appear from the detailed description thereof and the claims thereon hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stop motion device embodying our invention as applied to a knitting machine, some of the bobbins and bobbin plates being removed for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 22 of Fig. 1 and being a plan view of most of the stop motion device.

7 Fig. 3 isa detailed vertical sectional view on a still further enlarged scale on line ,33'

of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a detailed vertical sectional view ona similar scale on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation on a similar scale of the other side of the thrust plates 50 and 55 and attached parts.

Fig. 6 is a top or plan view on a greatly enlarged scale of one of the trip mechanisms forming a part of our stop motion device.

Fig. 7 is a top view on a similar scale of said trip mechanism with the cover and its attached parts removed and showing the parts in normal position; that is in the position they occupy when they are set ready to operate the stop motion device through the breaking or tightening of a thread.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 7 but with the cover and attached parts in place, the parts being in normal or set position. 7

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig.8 but with the parts in the position they occupy after the trip mechanism has operated, except that the arms carrying the movable eyes are left up in order to show their construction and upward position.

It will be seen that we have illustrated our invention as applied to an ordinary from of knitting machine, but our invention is not limited in its application to the class'or type of knitting machine shown nor in fact is it limited to knitting machines, but ma be used in a great variety of thread-using or thread-receiving machines.

Referring to the drawings in a more particular description, it will be seen that the knitting machine has a main upright standard 15, a floor or base portion 16 and a table 17, cylinder or cylinders 18 or other knitting mechanism and a driven pulley 19. Appropriate means are provided to disconnect the power from the machine and if desired apply a brake to further assist in quickly stopping the machine. As means for so disconnecting the power from the machine we have shown a well-known type of clutch 20 normally engaging the pulley 19 and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by sliding to the left a sleeve 21. Said sleeve may be so shifted by means of a lever 22 having at its upper end a pin 23 projecting into an annular groove 2 1 of the sleeve 21, said lever being pivoted intermediate its length at 25 upon a bracket 26 provided upon any convenient part ottheknittingmachine, for instance as shown from the machine.

on the bobbin rack.

upon the small upright post 27 which forms an additional support for the pulley side of the machine. It will be seen that movement of the lower end of the clutch lever 26 away from the machine or to the right will disconnect the clutch and throw the power off Against the inner side of the lower end of said clutch lever 22 bears the outer end 28 of a push rod 29 which is slidingly mounted in ears 3() and 31 of a bracket 32 suitably provided upon the upright post 27. A strong main spring 33 is operatively connected to the push rod 29 so as to tend to move said pushrod to the right and so disconnect the clutch. Said spring may as shown in the drawings be interposed between the ear 30 and a suitable collar 3 1 perform the work required. Normally said push rod is held in retracted position in spite of the tension of said spring-through the side of a notch 35 on the near side of the said push rod being engaged by a latch 36 of which the lower end is pivoted at 37 to the upstanding ear 30, while its upper end is pivotally connected to a link 38, the other end of which is connected to the upper end of an upstanding arm 39 rigidly secured to the rock shaft 40.,

Upon the upper end of arm 39 on the rock shaft 40 being moved away from the push rod 29. it will be obvious that the latch 36 will be disengaged from the notch and that thereupon the main spring 33 will force the push rod to the right as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 whereby the clutch of the machine is disconnected. The push rod 29 is provided with an upwardl extending handle 11 by means of which the operator may draw back the push rod ready to set the device again after it is once operated. A rubber or similar bumper 42 may be placed to the left of the bracket car 31 to receive the blow from the handle 41 as the push rod gets toward the end of its operating stroke.

The desired number of bobbins 13 are placed upon the bobbin plates 14idistributed As illustrated in the drawings the bobbins and bhbbin rack are here shown'as being placed about the standard and near the base portion of the ma chine. That is a convenient arrangement and one well adapted to keep the knitting machine proper clear of the parts of the stop motion device and at the same time allow the stop motion device to be fully efiective but to have itsparts placed where they may be conveniently reached by the hands of the operator.

It will be understood, however, that we are not limited to the placing of the bobbin racks or the stop motion device below the table of the machine as our inventioncould be used as readily above the machine as below. It is one of the advantages of our invention that it is of such construction and operation that it may very conveniently be placed near the floor below the knitting machine. As shown in the drawin s the bobbin rack consists of foot pieces 45 extending upward from the base portion of the machine a proper distance and there supporting a band 46 upon which may readily be fastened the bobbin plates a l.

The rock shaft l0 extends through and is suitably ournaled in the machine standard 15. The left end of said rock shaft extends but ShCl'b distance beyond the left side of the standard but the right hand end extends some distance beyond its side of the standard as will be seen particularly in Figs. 1 and 2. The right end of said. rock shaft is further suitably supported as by passing through the upwardly projected end of one of the foot pieces l5 of the bobbin rack.

This foot piece and the adjacent part of the bobbin rack band 46 also affords suitable fastening for a small upwardlyextending piece 47 which serves as an end stop for the reel: shaft 40 by engaging said rock shaft immediately to the right of its bearing in the foot piece 45.

Loosely mounted upon the rock shaft -10 upon opposite sides of the standard 15 and closely adjacent thereto are a pair of depending arms 48 and which extend some distance down from the rock shaft and have their lower ends rigidly fastened to a thrust plate 50. This thrust plate has the shape of a half of a thin annular band of a diameter slightly exceeding the diameter of the standard 15. Said thrust plate extends about its side of the standard at some distance there from and may be moved theretoward resulting in the arms s8 and L9 being swung in a similar direction upon the rock shaft.

The thrust plate above described is the one at the front of the machine as the machine is seen in Figs. 1 and 9,. Its right arm 49 is offset to the right at its upper end providing a step portion 51 a little below the rock shaft and substantially parallel therewith. Through this step portion extends a threaded bolt 52 with lock nut 53 thereon so as to have the inner or farther end of said bolt adjustably engage the lower half of a pin 5a.- which extends through the rock shaft 40 in a substantially vertical direction.

It will now be seen that when the thrust plate 59 is forced inward or toward the standard 15 a rocking motion will be given to rock shaft 40 similar in direction and degree to the swing of arm Upon the opposite or rear side of the machine is located a similar shaped thrust plate 55 having left hand and right hand arms 56 and 57 upwardly extending then from and loosely hung upon the rock shaft 49, said thrust plate and arms 56 and 57 forming a rigid frame of which the thrust plate is normally a little distance from the.

standard 15, but may be moved theretoward giving a swinging motion to its arms 56 and 57. A spring 58 interposed between arms 49 and 57 normally holds both thrust plates in proper position away from the standard 15, but allows either of said thrust plates to be moved toward the standard when any of the trip mechanisms hereinafter described impart an inward stroke to either of the said thrust plates.

It will be seen that inward movement of the thrust plate 50 moves arm l9 in the right direction to rotate the rock shaft d0 in the proper direction to withdraw the latch 36 from the push rod 29. lVhen the thrust plate 55 on the other or rear side of the machine is moved inward by inward strokes received from the trip mechanism the arm 49 however swings upon the roclr share in an opposite direction to the operating stroke of arm a9. In order that this operating motion of thrust plate 55 and its arm 57 may impart a rotating motion in the right direction we provide the following means for reversing the movement: The arm 57 is extended some distance above the rock shaft l9 and at its upper end has pivoted thereto a reversing lever 59 which ex ends downward along the arm 57 nearly to the rock shaft 40. This lever 59 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends as upon pin 60 which projects from some suitably adj acent part of the machine. As shown in Figs. 2 and l pin 60 er;- tends through a transversely arranged slot in the adjacent arm 57 and is secured to the machine standard 15. The transverse slot in the upper part of said arm 57 allows the arm 57 to move without interference from said pin 69. Said lever 59 however is pivoted intermediate its length upon said pin 60 and its upper end moves with the extreme upper end of arm 57 by reason of the pivotal connection at 61 between the upper end of lever 59 and the upper end of lever 57. It will be obvious, therefore. that as the thrust plate 57 is moved toward the standard 15 the lower end of lever 57 will be carried in the same way or to the left as the parts are seen in Fig t and that the upper end of lever 57 will be moved to the right and will carry ti erewith the upper end of reverse lever 59 and cause the lower end of said lever 59 to more to the left. A lug 62 upon the lower end of lever 59 then engages the upwardly extending part of pin 5% upon rock shaft whereupon the reel: shaft will be rotated in the proper direction to withdraw the latch 38 from the push rod 32.

A spring 53 is conveniently placed about the rock shaft 40 and has one end fastened to the adjacent foot piece 45 and its other end operatively connected to the rock shaft 40 as by being fastened to a small sleeve ea preferably adjustably secured to the rock shaft 40. This spring 63 is of such form and so connected that it yieldingly holds the latch 36 in the notch of the push rod. The

tension on this spring, however, is overcome.

when operative motion is imparted to either of the thrust plates or 55. After the stop motion device has been operated the workman by grasping handle 41 shoves the push rod toward the standard 15 and when the push rod comes to retracted position the latch 36 under the impulse of soring 63 enters the notch 35.

Ranged about the outside of the thrust plates 50 and are located the individual trip mechanisms of such construction that upon any one of the threads being broken or becoming too tight the motor member namely a spring tensioned piston 66 of the trip mechanism handling said thread will be released and give a sharp inward blow or push to its adjacent thrust plate. Each trip mechanism 65 as shown particularly in detail on an enlarged scale in Figs. 6 to 9 comprises a box in or upon which the parts are mounted or located. The box is sup ported in proper position relative to its thrust plate as by a bracket 67 fastened at its lower end to the base 16 of the machine and its upper end to the bottom 68 of the box.

The motor member or piston 66 of the trip mechanism is non-rotatively but slidingly mounted in the front side 69 rear side 70 of the trip box. its normal or retracted position is shown in Figs. 2, i, 6 and 7 A. strong spring 71 is operatively connected to the piston 66 so as to tend to force the piston inward against its cooperating thrust plate. A convenient arrangement of such spring is to have it coiled about the inner thrust plate end of the piston between the outer surface of the rear side 70 of the trip box and a head 7 2 fastened upon the extreme inner end of the piston. As shown in Figs. 2 and l the head end of the piston is in contact with or very close to its thrust plate when the piston is in retracted position so that as soon as the piston is released and allowed under the impulse of its springs 71 to travel inward a strong push of some length is imparted to the thrust plate.

Upon the opposite or front end the piston 66 is provided with a knob 7 3 whereby the piston may be manually withdrawn to retracted position. A shoulder 74: at the inner end of the knob forms a'stop to prevent the piston moving too far inward.

The piston 66 is releasably held in normal or retracted position by means of a spring catch. This consists of a leaf spring 75 secured to the right side of the piston as the parts are seen in Fig. 7, so located that its head 76 projects to the right of the piston within the trip box and engages the forwardly facing side 77 of an upwardly extending block 78 integral with or securely fastened to the upper surface of the bottom of the trip box. To the left of the spring 75 the piston 66 is cut away forming a recess 79 of sufficient size that said spring when bent to the left will be housed in said recess 7 9 whereupon the head 76 of the spring will be clear of the holding block 7 8 and the piston 66 will be free to move forward or toward'its thrust plate under the impulse of its spring 71. The block 7 8 beyond its hold-' g face 77 is provided with a long slanting ace 80 against which the sad 76 of the prlng will bear as the piston and its athed spring are again withdrawn to re- I cted position. This surface 80 slants to e left as the piston spring is returned to tracted position whereby the spring and s head are temporarily housed in the recess 9 but spring out to the right and to holding aosition as soon as the piston has come to retracted position at which position as already mentioned the head 76 engages the holding surface 7 7 f f Oi ULOCk 7 8. The proportion Oi the parts is such that the piston is stopped in its forward or active motion before the head 76 of the spring would strike the rear side 70 of the trip box.

he direct means provided to free the catch head 76 from its holding block 7 8 and so allow the piston 66 to become operative is a releasing hammer 81. This hammer is movably mounted so that when it becomes operative it moves against the spring head 7 6 with sufficient force to temporarily bend the spring 7 5 to the left (as seen in Fig. 7) and disengage the spring head 76 from its holding block 78. The hammer 81 is also so mounted that normally it is held or tends to remain in retracted position relative to the spring head but upon being started from its normal position, acquires new power to make its operative stroke with quickness and considerable strength.

The preferred form of so movably mounting this hammer and so providing it with power that normally holds it back in retracted position but when the hammer is once started moves it strongly forward is shown in the drawings and consists in having the hammer pivotally mounted under a spring or other yielding tension that is so arranged relative to the different positions of the hammer that the spring normally holds the hammer back in retracted position but when the hammer is once moved past center relative to the spring tension said tension then forces the hammer still farther forward to make its working stroke. This may be accomplished as shown in the drawings by having the hammer project from a crank shaft 82 which is rotatively mounted in the front and rearbox walls 69 and 70, while the crank portion 83 of the shaft is formed in the shape of an off-set or looped portion of the crank shaft located between the said walls or within the trip box.

To this crank portion 83 of the crank shaft 82 is attached a spring 8% having its other end attached to a suitable point in the trip box as to across bar 85. The arrangement and proportion of the hammer, crank shaft and direction of tension of said spring are such that said spring tends to hold the releaser or hammer 81 in retracted position, but upon the crank shaft being moved slightly in the direction to carry the releasing hammer 81 toward the spring head 76, said spring continues the movement of the releaser toward the spring head with a quick sharp stroke that will disengage the spring head from its holding block and allow the action stroke of the piston 66 to take place. A convenient arrangement of so arranging the parts as to get this effect is shown in the drawings and consists in having the crank portion 83 when the hammer is in retracted position, back past the center of the movement of said crank portion relative to the tension of spring 84;. This may be accomplished as shown in the drawings by having the retracted position of the crank portion 83 when the said crank portion 83 and releaser 81 are in retracted position, slightly above a line drawn through the fixed holding point 85 of the spring and the axis of the crank shaft 82, assuming that the organization of parts is as shown and that the action stroke of the releaser 83 is downward and then to the left as the parts are seen in Fig. 8.

Suitably pivoted in the trip box as upon a small shaft 85 extending from the front to the rear side walls of the box is a bell crank having its short arm 86 immediately above the crank portion 83 of the crank shaft 82 and with the long arm 87 of said bell crank extending some distance down in the trip box. For the purpose of accurate adjustment the lever arms 86 and 87 may be separately formed and separately and adjustably mounted as by means of set screws 88 and 89 upon the small shaft 85 which shaft will rotate in its bearings and with said lever arms form what in effect will be a bell crank.

A. thread-engaging gravity-actuated trigger 90 is provided in the form of a bell crank pivotally mounted upon a pin 91 in or near the bottom of the trip box. Said trigger has its thread-engaging arm 92 as the long and weighted arm of said bell crank while its other arm 93 is a short arm extending upward to the left of arm 87 and in line with and engaging said arm 87.

In order to provide for very free motion of the trigger and at the same time assure the alinement'of its arm 93 with the arm 87 of the intermediate bell crank above mentioned the pivoting portion of the trigger is placed in a vertical slot 94 extending into the bottom of the trip box. The pivot pin 91 is then inserted into a proper hole extending into the bottom of the box from the rear side of the box and of course extending through the hole in the pivoting portion of the trigger.

The trigger 90 is normally held in inoperative position with its weighted arm 92 extending upwardly to the right as the device is shown in Fig. 8 by the slight ten sion that is normally present in the thread 95 which is conducted through the trip box and beneath the weighted arm 92 of the trigger as the thread is on its way to the machine.

The free end of the trigger arm 92 extends out through a vertically arranged slot 96 provided in the adjacent or right hand end of the trip box as the same is shown in Fig. 8. Having this weighted arm of the trigger extend outside the trip box allows the operator to observe the position and operation of the trip mechanism without opening the box and is also a convenient arrangement in that it allows'the trip mechanism to be reset without opening the box after the mechanism has operated.

The thread 95 is led into the righthand end or thread end of the trip box through an eye 97 of porcelain or the like placed in an aperture in the rear wall of the box, passes beneath the inclined weighted arm 92 of the trigger and then out from the trip box through an eye 98 mounted in an aperture in the front wall 69 of the trip box.

It will now be seen that as long asthe thread 95 continues to pass through the trip box without a break the slight tension of said thread will support the weighted arm 92 of the trigger against the gravity of said arm. However as soon as a break occurs in the thread the thread will either cease to be below the weighted arm of the trigger or if still present will have its ten sion so greatly reduced that it will not longer support said arm 92. Thereupon the weight of said arm 92 will cause said arm to move downward whereupon the other trigger arm 93 will swing to the right moving thereby'the arm 87 upon intermediate shaft 85*. This in turn will cause the other arm, namely 86, of said intermediate bell crank to move slightly downward but sufficient to push down the crank portion 83 en gaged thereby. This motion causes the crank portion 83 to move past the center of its bearings relative to the tension of spring 8 1 whereupon spring 8 1 will sharply and with considerable strength continue the motion'of crank portion 83 in a clockwise direction producing a similar swing in the releasing hammer 81 which will move downward and to the left as shown in Fig. 8

thereby releasing spring head 76 and allowing the spring tensioned piston 66'to move inward and impart an inward push to its thrust plate which motion in turn'will operate the rest of the stop motion device as already heretofore described.

A convenient arrangement of the parts is tohave the thread 95 pass from the bobbin 43 upward through an eye 99 provided in a bracket 100 suitably supported on the machine as from the table 17 or an adjacent part of the standard 15, then downwardly through an eye 101 in said bracketand down to the trip box and there pass through eye 97, beneath weighted arm 92 of the trigger and out from the trip box thr ough eye 98. From there the thread passes upward through suitable guides as 101 to the point 102 where it is led into the cylinders or other mechanism of the machine in the usual way. It will be seen that this arrangement affords a considerable extent of thread between the bobbin and the machine at any point of which length a break in the thread will allow the gravity trigger 90 to operate and produce as heretofore mentioned a complete operation of the stop motionrdevice. By thus allowing ample extent of thread between the bobbin and the machine consuming the same, the stop motion device herein described will stop the machine before the break in the thread reachesthe consuming point of the machine and will thus allow the operator tojoin the ends of the thread and prevent a hole in the material being made and prevent trouble or delay in the operation of the machine.

After the stop motion device has thus been operated it will be reset as follows: If the break in the thread has caused the thread to entirely leave the trip boX it will be again inserted through the eyes 97 and 98a'nd under the weighted 92 of the trigger which for that purpose will be temporarily raised farther than its normal position or about to upright position. With the trigger arm 92 in this raised position the thread be readily inserted in the eye 97 and 98 and to the right of the arm 92 for the reason that an upwardly opening slot 103 is provided extending from the aperture of the eye 97 up through'the rear boX wall and a similar slot 104 is provided extending up from the aperture of eye 98 through the front box wall 69. The cover 105 of the trip box has its right edge 106 terminate with the left edge of said upwardly opening slots 103 and 10 1 while the flange portion 10'. of the thread end of the box terminates at the right of said slots thus leaving a narrow opening 108 extending entirely across the trip box. This allows the thread to be placed in position through the trip box without requiring a loose end upon the thread. The slot 96 in the thread end of the trip box is extended up through the flange portion 107 of that end of the box allowing the trigger arm 92 to be swung upward into the transverse thread opening 108. In order to further facilitate this backward movement of trigger-arm 92 the right edge of the box top 105 is recessed as at 109 to receive said trigger arm.

Conveniently located upon the trip box as in bearing 110 upon the top 105 of the trip box is a small rock shaft 111 from near the opposite ends of which project arms 112v and 113 having mounted in their ends eyes lld and 115 ofporcelain or the like. In their normal position these swingingly mounted eyes 114 and115 are outside and about in alinement with eyes 97 and 98. These swinging eyes 114 and 115 each have an opening or break in the circle of the eye which opening in the normal or lowered position of said eyes 114 and 115 is toward the right of the aperture of said eyes, but which when the said swinging eyes are moved upward about a quarter or a third of a revolution will bring the openings from said eyes above the aperture as plainly shown in Fig. 9. v

The weight of said arms 112 and 113 am the eyes 114; and 115 carried thereby aided by a small spring 116 operatively connected to the shaft 111 holds the said swinging eyes 114' and 115 in normal position opposite the fixed eyes 97 and 98 against the normal tension of the thread 95 passing through said swinging eyes just outside the fixed eyes. As in their normal downward position these swinging eyes have their upper portions engage the thread passing through the trip box, the thread willbe held in downward position on its way through the trip box in spite of the upwardly extending slots 103 and 104 in eyes 97 and 98 and the transverse opening 108. .In setting the stop motion device the thread is very readily placed through these swinging eyes by the operator manually raising tne swinging eyes and inserting the thread sidewise through said eyes and then the length of thread between said eyes is bodily forced down through the thread opening 108 and the slots 103 and 104 in the fixed eyes 97 and 98, the weighted arm 92 of the trigger being raised meanwhile as already mentioned. I

The open-sided swinging eyes 114: and 115 will stay in their normal lowered or holding position as long as the upward tension thereupon from the thread 95 passing down thereto and upward therefrom is not greater than the desired working tension of the thread. However, as soon as such tension is considerably increased as by the presence of a tangle or other stoppage of the feed tension of spring 116 thus allowing the thread. 95 to leave said eyes through the now upwardly directed openings in their sides. At the same time the freeing of the thread from its holding and the undue tension thereupon will temporarily raise the trigger arm 92 sulliciently toward or into the transvers thread-opening 108 or even the recess 109 to allow the thread to slip from below said weighted arm 92. hereupon it will be obvious that arm 9:2 will fall by its own gravity and bring into operation the trip mechanism and the whole step mo tion device in the way heretofore described in. detail. it will be particularly noticed hat the bringing into operation of the stop yes motion device through such an undue tightenii g or an unworkable tension upon the thread will not brealr he thread but will cause it to leave the trip mechanism entirely allowing the long loop of the thread d wn from eye 101 to the trip box and back again to the bracket 100 or other guide to he'available for consumption by the machine. In practice the stop motion device will stop the machine long before this extra loop of tl read is consumed.

After the stop motion device has been operated through the undue tightening of the thread and the thread removed from the trip box as above mentioned, the thread will be again inserted through the trip bot: underneath the tri arm 92 and through the swinging eyes 11 1 and 115 in the same manner as described for re-setting the device after it has been operated through a breakof the thread. While the machine is still stopped the tangle or other obstruction that has tightened the thread will be re leased or adjusted and the loop or" the thread which has been more or less consumed will be extended by drawing more thread -from the bobbin 43 until the loop may be inserted through the trip box and its attached parts as described.

To reset the trip mechanism the operator rotates cranlr shaft 82 in enticlocl-T vise direction by means oi a knurled dish wheel 117' provided for that purpose outside the trip be upon the forwardly eutendeu'end of said cranl: shaft. Such backward rotation of said crank shaft to a point past its center relative to the tension of 84: will through the craulr portion 82 moving short lever 86 and through the long lever 87 moving short arm 93, cause the trigger arm 92 to come back to substantially normal position it the re-threading oi the trip mechanism has not already returned said trip to such normal position. The. crank portion 83 is stopped at a position just bash past its center position by'convenient means tension from spring as through said crank portion 83 striking the flat lower side oi short arm 86. A pin 118 inwardly projecting from the rear side of the box acts as a stop to prevent the long 87 of the intermediate bell crank being accidentally moved too tar to the left its normal position as shown in Fig. 8. After the operator has so turned back the crank shaft or while he is ooing it he withdraws the piston 66 against the tension of its spring 71 to normal or set position shown in 7 whereupon the spring head 76 again en ages its holding block Z8 and holds the piston in set position. if it has not already been done the operator then adjusts the thread to the trip box as before til-scribed.

Upon the piston 66 of the t ip mechanism being; thus returned to withdrawn position and so drawn baclr from toe thrust plate 50 or 55 which it forced in when the trip mechanism operated, said thrust plates under the impulse of spring 58 return to normal position at some distance from the machine stanuard 15 thereby withdrawing the bolt 52 of thrust plate or the lug 62 operated from tarust plate 55 to remove its pressure upon lower or upper end of pin 54: as the case may be. This action results in the pivoted latch 36 being again free to move toward. the push rod to. Upon the operator drawing baclr said push rod 10 ag inst the tension of the spring 83 as by means of handle ll said pivoted latch 36 again enters the notchfio holds the push rod 40 in retracted position but under strong Thereupon the lower end of clutch lever 22 is free to move to the left as seen in 1 does so move 1. J. to

the either au-oniatically or as soon as the usual hand-ma. ipulated clutch lever is properly moved by the operator.

It will be noted especially that each trip mechanism is independent of the other trip mechanisms and that they are not actuatech d or otherwise (a. turbed by the opliustu'nent or resetting of any other at different tensions according; to the char-.

oi the thread that they may be indivicual v handling. Furthermore it will be seen that the trip m-chanisrns will be the same whether a plurality thereof are to be used upon the machine. other it trio mechanisms will be of stock or standard 10TH! and size for ractically all niacnines thus tending to simplification of manufacture and use.

Again, it will be noted that our invention admits of a standard construction of the stop motion device from the thrust plates the clutch lever for each type or malre'oi machine to be fitted'therewithwithout regard to whether one Or several trip mechanisms are to be applied thereto. 7

It will be especially noted also'that the trip mechanism of our invention is not limited to the specific form of connection therefrom to the clutch lever, but may be used with many and even entirely different connecting means. The connecting means here shown extending from the thrust plates to the clutch lever is simply, our preferred form of connections and is a novel and efficient form of connection to be used with our trip mechanisms. lVe do not, however, wish to be limited to the specific form of connections used as it will be obvious that our trip mechanisms supply an individual mechanical motion of suflicient strength upon a breakage or tightening of the thread that may be utilized in many other ways through appropriate connections to disconnect a clutch or apply a brake to a knitting machine or to other thread-consuming machines.

The peculiar character of the trip mecha nisms of our stop motion device and the fact that each trip mechanism is separate from others used upon the device admits of great nicety of adjustment but safety and regularity in action both in the trip mechanisms and in the general action of the complete stop motion device.

The extreme compactness of our inclividual trip mechanisms and the character of said mechanisms and their advantageous combination with the rest of the stop motion device renders our invention particularly advantageous for arrangement below the table of a knitting machine thus occupying otherwise waste space and at the same time leaving the head of the knitting machine and its upper part entirely clear of long extensions of thread and extended arms or other parts usually heretofore considered necessary in stop motion devices.

' It will be particularly noted that the construction and combination of parts of the trip mechanism is such that the tension of the thread does not have to hold back any part of the device except the gravity trigger; that the spring connected to the crank shaft holds said crank shaft in retracted position through said crank shaft beingrback past center; that the weight of the gravity arm of the trigger does. not have to operate against the full strength of said spring but simply has to move said crank shaft past center which movement by reason of its nature requires very little power but that after the crank shaft has been moved past center the power of said spring thereupon is greatly increased through said spring exerting its power directly against the crank shaft rather than mostly against'the bearing' of the crank shaft as is done when the crank portion is passing its center. It will be seen that this construction of our trip mechanism allows us to use a stronger spring to release the spring catch of piston 66 than could be done if the full'power of said spring had to be held or otherwise operated upon by the trigger. This construction enables us to obtain great delicacy of action on the part of the trigger and at the same timegreat strength and positive ness in the action of the releasing hammer upon the head of the spring catch. This in turn allows us to use a much more strongly tensioned piston 66 than would otherwise be the case inasmuch as ample means are at hand for releasing the strong spring catch which normally holds said spring tensioned piston. In this way we obtain a delicately set and acting trigger in the trip mechanism, but a strong and active motor member for said trip mechanism. The strength and extent of motion of the spring tensioned piston of each trip mechanism enables us to use strong and durable means through the rest of the stop motion device for passing on or bringing into action the motion that will ultimately stop the machine. 7

It will be seen that the device herein described acts as a stop motion device in the further sense that the machine cannotbe started after any of the trip mechanisms have been sprung until all of the trip mechanisms are again set to normal position. An operator cannot set the device into operative position after it has been sprung by simply moving the push rod 29 to normal position. He must also set the trip mechanism for until the trip mechanism is set its piston will be against its thrust plate and so prevent the thrust rod from being held in normal position by the latch. 'Furthermore for this reason the device cannot be set to make the machine operative until all of the trip mechanisms'have been set to normal position. If two trip mechanisms have been sprung at the same time or substantially the same time and the machine operatornotices only the break in one thread and sets the trip mechanism for that thread the thrust rod when moved to normal position will not be locked by its latch because the piston of the other or second trip mechanism will still bear against its thrust plate. The attention of the operator will thus be called to the fact that another trip mechanism has been sprung. By seeing which other piston is against either of the thrust plates theoperator will be able to see which other thread has been broken or become too tight. He can then remedy that trouble and set said second trip mechanism.

WVhat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a stop motion device, the combination of a motor member normally inactive but adapted when released to bring into operation the means for stopping the machine, 7

a movably mounted releasing member adapted on movlng forward to release sald motor member, a pressure-exertmg member operatively connected to said releaser and tion of a motor member normally inactive but adapted when released to bring into operation the means for stopping the machine, a pivotally mounted releasing member adapted on moving forward to release said motor. member, a pressure-exerting member operatively connected to said releaser and adapted to move it forward or backward of a central position relative to said pressure whereby said releaser is held in normal retracted position but will be forced forward on said releaser being moved forward past central position and a trigger adapted when liberated to swing said releaser forward past central position,

3. In a stop motion device, the combination of a motor member normally held under tension and adapted when released to bring into operation the means for stopping the machine, a pivotally mounted hammer adapted to move forward and release said motor member, a spring operatively connected to said hammer and adapted to move it to one side of its pivotal axis, said hammer being normally positioned slightly back past center relative to the tension of the spring whereby the spring holds the hammer back in normal position but is adapted to move said hammer forward upon the hammer being moved forward past center and a trigger adapted when liberated to move said hammer forward past center. i

4. In a stop motion device for threadusing machines, the combination of a motor member normally held under tension and adapted when released to bring into operation the means for stopping the machine, a pivotally mounted hammer adapted to move forward and release said motor member, a'

spring operatively connected to said hammer and adapted to move it to one side of its pivotal axis, said hammer being normally positioned slightly back past center relative to the tension of the spring whereby the spring holds the hammer back in normal position, but is adapted to move said hammer forward upon the hammer being-moved forward past center and a trigger rendered operative by the thread breaking or becoming too tight and adapted when liberated to a move said hammer forward past center.

5. In a stop motion device, the combination of a motor member normally held under tension and adapted when released to bring into operation the means for stopping the machine, a catch releasably holding said motor member in tensioned position, a movably mounted hammer adapted to move forward and release said catch, a spring oper-- atively connected to said hammer whereby the spring holds the hammer back in retracted position but will move it forward against the catch upon the hammer being started forward and a trigger adapted when liberated to start said hammer forward.

6. In a stop motion device, the combination of a motor member normally held under tension and adapted when released to bring into operation the means for stopping the machine, a catch releasably holding said motor member in tensioned position,a pivotally mounted hammer adapted to swing forward into engagement with and release said catch, a spring operatively connected to said hammer and adapted to move it to one side of its pivotal axis, said hammer be-' ing normallywithdrawn from engagement with the catch and slightly back past center relative to the tension of the spring whereby the spring holds the hammer in normal position, but is adaptedto move said hammer forward against the catch upon the hammer being moved forward past center and a trig-' ger adapted when released to move said hammer forward past center.

7.In a stop motion device for threadusing machines, the combination of a spring tensioned piston adapted when released to bring into operation themeans for stoppingthe machine, a catch normally holding saic piston from action, a pivotally mounted hammer adapted to move forward and release said catch, a spring operatively con- 7 nected to said hammer whereby said hammer is normally held in retracted position but on being moved forward past its dead center, 115 is forced forward to release said catch and a trigger adapted when the thread breaks or becomes too tight to move said releasing hammer past center.

8. In a stop motion device for" thread- 120 using machines, the combination of a spring tensioned piston adapted when released to bring into operation the'means for stopping the machine, a catch normally'holding said piston from action, a pivotally 12 mounted hammer adapted to move forward and release said catch, a spring operatively connected to said hammer whereby said hammer is normally held in retracted position but on being moved forward past its 130 dead center, is forced forward to release said catch and a movably-mounted gravity-actuated trigger normally supported by the tension of the thread and adapted when freed therefrom to fall and move said releasing hammer past center.

9. In a stop motion device for threadusing machines, the combination of a springtensioned piston adapted when released to bring into operation the means for stopping the machine, a catch normally holding said piston from action, a pivotally mounted hammer adapted to move forward and release said catch, a spring operatively connected to said hammer whereby said hammer is normally held in retracted position but on beingmoved forward past its dead center, is forced forward to release said catch, a movably-mounted gravity-actuated trigger normally supported by the tension of the thread and adapted when freed therefrom to fall and move said releasing hammer past center and a yieldingly supported thread guide holding the thread in engagement with the trigger under normal tension of the thread but adapted to yield when the thread becomes too tight and remove the thread from the trigger and allow the trigger to operate.

10. In a stop motion device for threadusing machines, the combination with means adapted when operated to stop the machine, of a gravity-actuated trigger normally supported by the thread passing therebelow but adapted when freed therefrom to fall and bring said device into operation and a yieldingly supported thread guide normally in downward position and holding the thread in engagement with the trigger under normal tension of the thread but adapted when the thread becomes too tight, to yield upwardly and remove the thread from below the trigger by raising the trigger by the thread until the thread slides from beneath the trigger, whereby the trigger becomes operative either upon the thread breaking or becoming too tight.

11. In a stop motion device for threadusing machines, the combination with means adapted when operated to stop the machine, of a gravity-actuated trigger normally supported by the thread therebelow but adapted when freed therefrom to bring said device into operation, stationary thread guides above said trigger and a yieldingly supported thread guide intermediate the stationary guides and the trigger holding the thread in engagement with the trigger under nor mal tension of the thread but adapted when the thread becomes too tight, to be moved upward by raising the trigger until the thread slides therefrom and remove the thread from the trigger, whereby the trigger falls and becomes operative either upon the thread breaking or becoming too tight.

supported thread guides intermediate the stationary guides and the trigger and on opposite sides of the trigger and holding the thread in engagement with the trigger under normal tension of the thread but adapted when the thread becomes too tight to be moved upward by raising the trigger until the thread slides therefrom and remove the thread from the trigger whereby the trigger falls and becomes operative either upon the thread breaking or becoming too ti ht.

13. In a stop motion device for use with machines using a plurality of threads, the combination of an independent trip mecha, nism for each thread, comprising a secondary motor member, a thread controlled trigger operative upon the thread breaking or becoming too tight and means operatively connecting said trigger and said secondary motor member whereby said motor member is brought into operation upon the operation of its thread-controlled trigger, together with a main machine-stopping member, a single main motor member adapted to operate said machine stoppingmember and means adapted to be actuated by any of the independent secondary motor members and when so actuated adapted to bring said main motor member into operation.

14. In a stop motion device for use with machines using a plurality of threads, the combination of an independent trip mechanism for each thread, comprising a secondary spring-tensioned member, a thread controlled trigger operative upon the thread breaking or becoming too tight and means operatively connecting said trigger and said secondary spring-tensioned member whereby said spring-tensioned member is brought .into operation upon the operation of its thread-controlled trigger together with a main machine-stopping member, a single main spring-tensioned member adapted to operate said machine stoppingmember and means adapted to be actuated by any of the independent 'second'ary spring-tensioned members and when o actuated adapted to bring said main spring-tensioned member into operation.

15. In a stop motion device for use-with machines using a plurality of threads, the combination of an independent trip mechanism for each thread, comprising a springtensioned piston, a catch normally holding said piston from movement, a thread-com trolled trigger operative upon the thread breaking or becoming too tight, means operatively connected to said trigger for releasing said catch, a single machine-stopping member, a main motor member adapted to operate said machine-stopping member, and means adapted to be actuated by any of the independent spring-tensioned pistons and when so actuated adapted to bring said main motor member into operation.

16. In a stop motion device for use with machines using a plurality of threads, the combination of an independent trip mechanism for each thread, comprising a springtensioned piston, a catch normally holding said piston from movement, a thread-con ed to operate said machine-stopping memher, a catch normally restraining said motor member, and means adapted to release Said last named catch, said release being operated by the movement of any of said independent pistons.

In witness whereof we have affixed our signatures, this 16th day of August 1917.

HUGH S. JONES. I ARTHUR P. CULLINAN. 

